Fredonia looks set to raise its water rate by $2 per 1,000 gallons used.

Village Trustee Nicole Siracuse proposed the rate hike in a workshop Wednesday, and Fredonia’s four other trustees assented. A resolution to formalize the hike will be necessary.

Siracuse said she asked Village Treasurer Erlyssa LeBeau to work out how much it costs the village to produce water. The answer: $8.81 per 1,000 gallons.

The current water rate is $4.95 per 1,000 gallons, Trustees agreed the cost of production is too far above what is charged.

Siracuse said she “would love to” raise the rate to $8.95 per 1,000 gallons immediately. However, she thinks it’s more prudent to raise it by a couple dollars now, then do an additional hike later in the year.

“Doubling some of these water rates on a random date doesn’t seem right,” she said.

Trustee Jon Espersen wondered if there are ways to cut costs on the production end.

Trustee Ben Brauchler commented on the village water system, “Our end goal ought to be to break even, not a slight loss.”

“I think that would be a fair thing to do at this time,” said Trustee Michelle Twichell of Siracuse’s proposal.

Fredonia’s Board of Trustees voted down a proposal in November to raise the water rate by $1 per 1,000. Village officials wound up writing a 15-cent hike, to the current $4.85, into the 2023-24 budget.

Trustees also briefly discussed a possible hike in village sewer rates. They held off any action on that after Espersen noted the village is currently negotiating new contracts with sewer districts.